Dizzy Gillespie slams new TA campaign; Rose Byrne ‘doesn’t realise what really goes on at night’
In one of the more interesting media and marketing timelines we will see this week, Australian cricket legend, Jason ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie has hit out at Tourism Australia for “cashing in on our national icon”, the kangaroo in its new campaign.
Dr Mumbo was as surprised as most to hear that Dizzy is a key Kangaroos Alive ambassador, the group that is claiming TA is turning a blind eye to the animal’s local demise, while unfairly leveraging the marsupials at the same time.
“I’m guessing actress Rose Byrne, who is the voice of Ruby, doesn’t realise what really goes on at night,” said Dizzy in what appears as quite a dark quote.
In an impressive call-back to one of the national tourism board’s most famous campaigns, he added: “Where the bloody hell are you then?”
Seems Dizzy is more of a Bingle fan than Byrne.
The campaign, “Come and Say G’day” is set for its full launch next week.
Dizzy continued: “Tourism Australia even said we’re so lucky to have a globally recognisable and adorable icon in the kangaroo. We need to learn to value these international icons and acknowledge that they are worth much more to Australia alive. Our tourist industry relies on them.”
Kangaroos Alive highlighted a New South Wales parliamentary report into the Health and Wellbeing of Kangaroos recently, which examined the management of the commercial kangaroo industry, finding evidence of an unsustainable animal welfare crisis with both the NSW and Federal Governments forced to admit that no one is monitoring how the animals meet their end.
Dr Mumbo does note that Tourism Australia was kind enough to not launch the new campaign – whatever you think of it – just five days later on 24 October, which is World Kangaroo Day.
So, Tourism Australia… the ball is now well and truly in your (kangaroo) court.
